Clasp.



E. D. NICHOLS.

CLASP.

APPLICATION nun FEB. 1. 19 2.

m: mums psrsxs co. puma-Luna. Iusmmmw. n. c,

Patented Nov; 7, 1916.-

nnrrn EMORY n. NICHOLS, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CLASP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. *7, 1916.

Application filed February 1, 1912. Serial No. 674,836.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EMORY D. NIoHoLs, a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clasps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to clasps such as are capable of embodiment in garters.

The object of the invention is to provide a clasp which may be conveniently manipulated to connect and disconnect the members thereof and particularly to facilitate disconnection of the members so that it will be unnecessary to hold both members in the disconnecting operation. This object is attained by providing a device which will be released for disconnection when one end of one member thereof is pressed toward the other, and without the necessity of holding both members.

The invention consists in the novel features hereinafter set forth and more par-. ticularly defined by the claims at the 'connected relation. Fig. 4- is a perspective of I the inner member of the clasp.

, enlarged head 8.

The inner member of the clasp comprises a base or plate'6 formed of a strip of metal and in which isriveted an outwardly projecting stud 7 which is provided with an The strip forming the base 6 is reverted to form a spring 9 which has a hole 10 therein, through which the shank of the stud 7 passes. One end of the base 6 is provided with a slot 11 for convenience in sewing one end of the base-strip to the front-piece 12 of the garter and at the other end of the strip, holes 13 are formed for sewing the other. end of this clasp member to piece 12. In this manner, both ends of the clasp may be conveniently secured to the front-piece of the garter. The outer member 15 of the clasp is also formed of a strip of sheet metal and has a slot 16 therein through which the elastic band or 7 loop 17 of the garter passes. The free end of the outer member 15 is provided with a' longitudinally extending slot 18 which extends entirely to the free end of this member, and an enlarged opening 19 which is formed at the inner end of the slot, is of such size that the head 8 of stud 7 may pass through it and slot 18 is of such width that the shank of stud 7 Y may slide therethrough. Slot 18 leaves a jaw 20 ateach side thereof and the inner edge of each of these jaws is formed with an out-turned lug 21, the outer edges of which are inclined and the edges 22 of which form abutments which are adapted to engage the head 8 of stud 7 To connect the clasp-members, the outer member is placed against the inner member in such position that the head 8 of the stud will pass through opening 19 in the outer member. Then theouter member is moved inwardly against the front of spring-strip 9, and the elastic loop will pull the outer member into position indicated in Figs. 1 and 3,the shank of the stud sliding in the slot 18 until the head 8 of the stud encounters edges 22 of the lugs 21. In this position, the spring 9 presses the outer clasp member against the under side of the head 8 of the stud so that the clasp members will remain locked and connected. To disconnect the members, it is only necessary to apply pressure to the outer or free end of the outer clasp member sufficientlyrto cause the edges 22 of the lugs 21 to pass under the head of the stud. The pull exerted on the outer member by the elastic loop will thenv draw the outer member away from the inner member, the inclined edges on lugs 21 facilitating disconnection after edges 22 have passed beneath the head. For further facilitating the operation, a hood 26 is formed on one side of the hole 19'of the outer member 15, to guide the head 8 into which may be connected together in a manner similar to an ordinary loop and clasp, and in which disconnection may be readily effected by disengaging the lugs from the stud, and by pressure applied by one finger without the necessity of first holding or grasping both members of the clasp. When the members are connected the outer member may swing pivotally about the stud and relatively to the other member.

Having thus described the invention what 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A clasp comprising a member having a headed stud secured thereto, a member formed with an enlarged opening through which the head is adapted to pass, and with an openended slot leading from said opening to the outer end of said latter member, through which the shank of the stud may pass to permit the members to be separated by the movement of the shank through the outer end or the slot and away from the enlarged opening, the open end of said slot being normally as wide as the shank, and means rigid with the slotted member for engaging the head of the stud to hold the members against disconnection, said members, when connected, being movable toward each other to release the head from said means and permit the shank to pass through the outer end of the slot.

2. A clasp comprising a member having a headed stud secured thereto, a member formed with an enlarged opening through which the head is adapted to pass, and with an open-ended slot leadingfrom said opening to the outer end of said latter member, through which the shank of the stud may pass to permit the members to be separated by the movement of the shank through the outer end of the slot and away from the enlarged opening, the open end of said slot being normally as wide as the shank, and outwardly projecting lugs at the sides of the slot for engaging the head of the stud to hold the members against disconnection, said members, when connected, being movable toward each other to release the head from said means, and permit the shank to pass through the outer end of the stud.

3. A clasp comprising a member having a headed stud secured thereto, a member formed with an enlarged opening through which the head is adapted to pass, and with an open-ended slot leading from said opening to the outer end of said latter member, through which the shank of the stud may pass to permit the members to be separated by the movement of the shank through the outer end of the slot and away from the enlarged opening, the open end of said slot being normally as wide as the shank, means rigid with the slotted member for engaging the head of the stud to hold the members against disconnection, said members, when connected, being movable toward each other to release the head from said means and permit the shank to pass through the outer end of the slot, and yielding means interposed between the members for pressing them apart.

a. A clasp comprising a member having a headed stud secured thereto, a member formed with an enlarged opening through which the head is adapted to pass, and with an open-ended slot leading from said opening to the outer endof said latter member, through which the shank of the stud may pass to permit the members to be separated by the movement of the shank through the outer end of the slot and away from the enlarged opening, the open end of said slot being normally as wide as the shank, means rigid with the slotted member for engaging the head of the stud to hold them against relative longitudinal movement in either direction, said members, when connected, being movable toward each other to release the head from said means and permit, the shank to pass through the outer end of the slot.

5. A clasp comprising a member having a headed stud secured thereto, a member formed with an enlarged opening through which the head is adapted to pass, and with an open-ended slot leading from said opening to the outer end of said latter member, through which the shank of the stud may pass to permit the members to be separated by the movement of the shank through the outer end of the slot and away from the enlarged opening, the open end of said slot being normally as wide as the shank, means rigid with the slotted member and at the sides of the slot for engaging the head of the stud to hold the members against relative longitudinal movement in either direction, said members, when connected, being movable toward each other, to release the head from said means and permit the shank to pass through the outer end of the slot, and means between said members for normally pressing them apart to cause the head to be held by said means on the slotted member.

6. A clasp comprising two members, one of which has a headed stud secured thereto and the other of which is formed of a single piece of sheet metal having an enlarged opening through which the head is adapted to pass and a slot leading from said opening to the end of the member, a pair of projecting lugs on the latter member adjacent the enlarged opening having their inner edges inclined toward said opening and another pair of projecting lugs at the end of said opening having their outer edges inclined downwardly, said projecting lugs adapted to engage the head of the stud to hold the members against disconnection, the member of the slot and away from the enlarged carrying the stud, being formed of a strip opening.

of metal reverted to form a sprin for engaging the slotted member and hiilding it EMORY NICHOLS against the underside of the head of the stud, W1tnesses:

said slot permitting the member to be sep- FRED GERLAOH, arated by movement of the stud to the end GEO. F. FISHER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

